TAKE TWO: Just a “Castle” Rip-off or a genuinely Good Show?

“I’m greedy for justice!” This is the catchphrase of Sam Swift’s character on the long-lived crime show “Hot Suspect”. But when the show is cancelled and Sam has to go to rehab for an alcohol addiction, no one wants to hire her as an actress anymore. When she finally gets a potential comeback role as a private detective, she teams up with the former police officer Eddie to experience the real life of a Private Detective.

On June 21. 2018 the comedy crime-drama named “Take Two” premiered on the ABC. Created by Andrew W. Marlowe and Terri Edda Miller, who worked on the crime drama “Castle” (2009-2016), the question about the similarity between the two series is obvious. Both shows follow the all-too-similar concept of a non-police person helping the police and even though Eddie is technically not a police officer a private detective, in the context to the show it’s basically the same. Just like in “Castle”, there, of course, is romantic tension between the leads. Rachel Bilson and Eddie Cibrian have good chemistry, but with only one season out, Castle and Beckett is the more iconic couple.

Sam Swift and Richard Castle are both following their respective co-stars to do research for their next project. Sam wants to act as a realistic P.I. in a future movie, Castle wants to write a realistic book and needs inspiration. In both series, the law-enforcement character is not at all thrilled but has to accept it. After a few cases, they both realize that their partnership might be more beneficial than they thought. Yes, the concepts seem suspiciously similar.

The secondary characters also seem interesting, even though they didn’t get much screen time yet. Eddie’s tech assistant Berto, played by Xavier de Guzman, and Sam’s assistant, played by Alice Lee, are both the comic relieves and can’t really be compared to any characters in “Castle”. With Sam and Eddie being too similar to Castle and Beckett, it’s nice that the other characters aren’t just copies of each other.

On another note, am I the only person thinking “Take Two” might actually be similar to the 80s show “Moonlighting” than “Castle”? A model and a private detective solving crimes together. With the ABC producing all three series, maybe this is more as a coincidence.

Since “Take Two” only getting mixed reviews on Rotten Tomato, it’s questionable if it’s going to be renewed. I personally think ABC should give this show a second season, even though it is similar to “Castle”.